Is anyone off-grid with their cottage/ cabin?

[wask]

I recently bought a cottage up north of buckhorn that was apparently solar but the previous owners took the panels when he bank foreclosed.

 

So I'm trying to piece it back together or find the most cost effective way to get power.

 

We don't need a lot, but we do need a fridge and would like some hot water as well obviously.

 

I've looked at the propane options and it seems that might be the best way to go since those would be the biggest power drains and then piece together a smaller solar system to power lights and the water pump from the lake.

 

I've also put in a request to see how much running hydro in form the road will cost but I expect that isn't going to be cheap.

 

Thoughts? Opinions? Experience?

 

Thanks

 

Wask

[Joeytier]

Here on Lake Kipawa lots of people have solar setups, and they're pretty well all set up as you described

. You would need a massive set up to run your stove and fridge in solar, but definitely look into it for lighting. It's a lot nicer than having a genny running just for a couple lights.

[alexmedic]

This site may be useful:

 

http://www.small-cabin.com/forum/

[DRIFTER_016]

Yes I'm off grid, but still in the building process.

Fridge, stove and on demand water heater will be propane.

Power set up is going to be solar with generator backup.

 

I'm sizing my solar system so the generator will only be needed in the winter due to lack of daylight.

From March to November I should be able to run solar only.

I have enough equipment to run a small system until I can budget my large system @ the cabin.

My heavy draw devices will be my microwave and espresso machine.

My water pump is going to be a 24 volt RV pump t hat will draw water from a large tank under the cabin.

For filling the tank I will be using a gas powered pump.

Typical 120 volt shallow well jet pumps use quite a bit of juice compared to the RV pumps so you would need a larger solar setup to run it.

 

Look at these guys for solar. Good pricing on everything needed.

http://www.wholesalesolar.com/complete-systems

 

For lighting go with LED bulbs to save energy.

 

Good info here: http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=6059.0

[raysfish2005]

Hey we have a cottage 16x20 near parrysound, off grid, we have 2x250 watt panels, and 4 big batts, that runs fridge lights and the tv when needed, we also have a pellet stove for the winter,when we need to run the small stove or micro wave we use the genny to add what ever power is needed.

this system has worked great for 3 years.

now on the flip side you don't get solar power when the panels are under 4 ft of snow, so in the winter months it cost about 20 bucks in gas to run the genny for the weekend.

[chris.brock]

I would keep your new cottage off the grid.

 

It is expensive to get the service in initially, then it's a lifetime contract with Hydro One and you are at their mercy with delivery charges and rate changes etc. Being off the grid you can control some of your expenses.

[Sinker]

I would stay off grid too. Propane stove and fridge for sure, but have solar running lights and smaller appliances.

 

S.

[crappieperchhunter]

My folks cottage on Larry's Lake on the upper Bruce was off the grid....didn't even have water. Grew up with it...loved it and miss it.

 

Propane lights, fridge and heater and stove plus a wood burning stove to help warm it up fast in the winter. Got water from the lake with a bucket for dishes and showers, brought our own for drinking. Had a shower curtain rigged up at the back porch door. Climbed a ladder to mostly fill a 5 gallon bucket with water then topped up with a big kettle of boiling water from the stove. It would do for 2 seperate quickie showers or one nice long shower. Styrofoam under your feet to stand on if it was winter out. During summer we did 90% of our evening meals on a grate over a fire in a nice bricked pit my dad made. Really miss the flavour of cooking over a fire and the timing involved to get it just right with everything ready at the same time.

 

Propane was off when we where not there, so when you showed up it would take a solid day in the summer for the fridge to really cool down before it kept things cold enough. So we had a huge plastic tub that was filled with water and frozen in the big freezer at home. It would last almost a whole week in the fridge at the cottage so if we went up for only a weekend we never turned the propane on for the fridge at all, just threw the big tub of ice in the bottom. It was a lot nicer then digging your stuff out of a packed cooler all the time.

 

With todays technology and more options like solar and the use of generators if I had a small place and it was a viable option I would be off grid for sure.